Strong Weather as Brisbane Floods

Since Australia Day, Brisbane and Southeast Queensland have been droped into an escalating weather crisis. The tail end of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald has delivered strong winds and rain across the region bringing high tides, wind damage and flooding to the area.

The unfortunate conditions mean the Brisbane River is projected to flood. While this event isn't expected to be as severe as the 2011 floods, it's certainly reminiscent of the event that submerged parts of the city for several days and a number of evacuations have been made in preparation.

Ferries around the city have been shut down, and a number of pedestrian and cycle spaces have already been submerged in the CBD and surrounding areas. Most of the train services have also been interrupted by flooding and wind damage alike.

Flooded Bikeways

A lot of Brisbane's bikeways run adjacent to creeks, streams and low lying areas which means they frequently get flooded out with heavy rain. These strong weather conditions have brought dangerous currents and debris down creeks and streams, and the strong tides have inundated a number of costal areas.

Much of the dedicated bike infrastructure is either flooded or strewn with debris so it's advisable that if you do need to get out, take the high road rather than the bikeway since it's less likely to present an obstacle.

Briscane council has closed bikeways and paths through the botanic gardens and various parts of the city pending inspection and repairs, so stay out of the way.

What to do

It's the official policy of Briscycle that people should stay at home and read a book during disasters like this. Of course that's not always possible, so if you have to go out in it make sure to keep out of the water and stay safe.

For further coverage and information on what you can do, check out the Brisbane Times' excellent live coverage.

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